It's August. Do you know where your vacation is? 3 instant getaways: Whistler, B.C., San Diego, Santa Fe

Swim in local lakes. Whistler's Alta Lake Park, Rainbow Park, and Lost Lake Park each have sandy beaches where families can relax. Contact the Whistler Activities Centre (see above) for maps and directions.

BY ABIGAIL PETERSON

MISSION BAY, SAN DIEGO

Just add water

A family of four finds their aquatic bliss

When our family looks to vacation, we look to the water. And San Diego's Mission Bay has plenty of it. It's the West Coast's largest aquatic park--4,600 acres within sight of the downtown skyline.

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My wife, my two young boys, and I have three days in the watery wonderland in this, our final summer hurrah. First on tap, we rent beach cruisers and explore the raucous oceanfront strand along Mission Beach--tattooed hipsters, preening hard bodies, and $3 T-shirts washed with tinny reggae and briny breeze--before wheeling to the quieter pathways edging the bay.

Renting bikes is a good move, since we've learned that parking's pretty much impossible. But there's always plenty of room in the water. The boys and I bodysurf and rent surfboards, plunging into happy white breakers. We paddle kayaks from Quivira Basin around to SeaWorld, the bay glittering in the late afternoon light.

And we adventure on dry land too. At Belmont Park in Mission Beach, we ride the Giant Dipper--the venerable 1925 wooden roller coaster. We even surf on dry land, challenging the tensile grip of our bathing suits on the Flow-Rider, an artificial wave created by 20,000 gallons of water rushing 25 miles an hour along a sloping vinyl surface. Skittering across the foam face on the rushing skein of water is like being transported atop a wet and rollicking magic carpet.

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On our last day, the four of us test SeaWorld's latest paean to fall-away thrills, Journey to Atlantis. And if our sons' happy shrieks are any indicator, the ride lives up to its billing as "the most exciting attraction in SeaWorld's 40-year history."

Once again, water doesn't fail us.

GOING AT THE LAST MINUTE

* Mission Bay has more than 2,000 hotel rooms. August is peak season, but you can find last-minute deals.

* Stay close to the bay or the ocean for easy beachgoing.

* Though nobody's going to call it uncrowded, you can walk just about anywhere.

Tour Mission Bay

Getting around

Mission Bay lies about 10 miles north of downtown San Diego--a 10-minute ride from the airport. For maps and information, contact the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.sandiego.com or 619/236-1212).

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Dress like a local

Think water and rays: swimsuits, T-shirts, sunglasses, and lots and lots of sunscreen. And go for board shorts from Volcom or still-popular Quiksilver.

Where to stay

Bahia Resort Hotel. The Bahia, on its own peninsula, is not quite as upscale as its sister property the Catamaran, but it's attractive in its own right. 320 rooms from $175. 998 W. Mission Bay Dr.; www.bahiahotel.com or 858/488-0551.